Here’s a truth that quietly shaped the way I move through the world: “You don’t need more days off. You need to do more with the days you already have.” A mentor told me that once, mid-burnout spiral, and it stuck. It nudged me to rethink the point of traveling—not just how far or how often, but why and how I go in the first place.
For Gen Z—those born roughly between 1997 and 2012—travel doesn’t just mean vacation anymore. It’s personal growth, digital storytelling, soft power, escape, inspiration, and even income. We’re not just going places—we’re curating experiences, challenging norms, and pushing back on outdated travel ideals that prioritize quantity over quality.
So when we talk about traveling well, we’re not talking about luxury (necessarily), or trendy Instagram spots, or how many countries you’ve checked off your map. And that’s what this piece is about: a clearer, deeper, and smarter look at what it actually means to travel well in a Gen Z context—and how to do it without losing yourself (or your money) along the way.
Travel Well = Travel With Purpose
Not every trip has to be life-altering, but the best ones usually mean something. Maybe it’s healing. Maybe it’s reconnecting with a culture or chasing creativity. The point is: travel doesn’t have to be performative to be powerful. According to Condor Ferries, Self-care is a significant focus for Gen Z travelers, with 61% prioritizing travel plans that include wellness experiences.
Ask yourself before booking: Why do I want to go here? What am I hoping to walk away with that I didn’t have before?
And that doesn’t mean every trip has to be a wellness retreat or a silent meditation hike. It could be a spontaneous city weekend to rest your brain or a beach trip to celebrate a new job. The key is traveling with clarity, not just restlessness.
Redefining Luxury
For Gen Z, luxury isn’t just about thread count or champagne on arrival. It could mean:
- Time to do absolutely nothing.
- A hotel that pays workers fairly.
- A yoga session at sunrise over an Airbnb rooftop.
- A hostel where you actually connect with other travelers.
We value freedom and flexibility over formality. Luxury might be a splurge dinner at a family-owned spot you researched, or flying mid-week because it’s cheaper and the airport’s less chaotic. One of the best meals I’ve ever had was under $10 in Oaxaca, and it didn’t come with a view—it came with a story, shared by the chef about her grandmother’s mole recipe. That, to me, was luxurious.
Sustainability Isn’t Optional—It’s a Standard
Sustainable travel doesn’t mean not flying or never going anywhere—it means taking more ownership over how we move. Gen Z is transforming tourism in a big way. TrovaTrip reports that Gen Z travelers are three times as likely as others to dedicate part of their vacation to volunteering or helping with restoration projects. Their travel style sets a new standard, emphasizing sustainability, ethical choices, and inclusivity.
Try this:
- Opt for direct flights (fewer takeoffs = less fuel).
- Use public transportation when you can (it’s also the fastest way to feel the rhythm of a city).
- Stay longer in one place to reduce your overall carbon footprint.
Better yet, support eco-conscious accommodations or volunteer tourism that’s actually vetted (think: community-led, not performative).
Digital But Not Disconnected
Let’s address the irony: we document everything but crave presence. It’s not hypocrisy—it’s tension. Gen Z straddles both worlds. We love to share, but we’re also looking for the feeling behind the filter.
Traveling well means learning how to use tech without letting it use you. That could look like:
- A digital detox day where you explore without your phone.
- Creating content after you’ve experienced the moment.
- Turning on airplane mode for your morning coffee stroll through Lisbon or Kyoto, or Chicago.
Sometimes the best moments don’t make it to Instagram—and that’s what makes them yours.
Get Good at Slow Travel
“Slow travel” gets tossed around a lot, but it doesn’t necessarily mean taking a six-week sabbatical (though that sounds great, too). It’s a mindset. You could do it in 48 hours.
Slow travel is about:
- Choosing depth over breadth.
- Sitting in a neighborhood café for an hour instead of rushing to your next “must-see.”
- Going back to a place you’ve already been because it felt right.
It’s the difference between seeing a place and feeling it.
You don’t need a jam-packed itinerary to have a rich experience. You just need to be present, curious, and willing to slow down.
Did you know? Oaky found that over 80% of Gen Z travelers in the U.S. want their vacations to include unique and exciting experiences.
Don’t Just “Support Local”—Engage Local
We hear “support local” all the time. But traveling well means going beyond the buzzword. It means active engagement. TravelPerk found that for about half of Gen Z travelers, the biggest reason to travel is getting to experience local culture up close.
Try:
- Asking your Airbnb host for their favorite local spots.
- Taking a walking tour with a local historian or artist.
- Buying from the market where the aunties shop, not the boutique made for tourists.
It’s about economic impact, yes. But it’s also about cultural respect and participation. Locals can usually tell if you’re genuinely interested or just consuming the culture like a product. Be the former. It pays back in richer conversations and better stories.
Normalize Rest Days
This might sound counterintuitive, but one of the most valuable skills you can build as a traveler is learning how to do nothing—guilt-free.
Rest isn’t wasted time. It’s how you integrate everything you’ve seen, learned, and felt. It’s also how you stay well on the road. Especially when solo traveling or hopping between time zones, your energy is a resource.
Give yourself permission to:
- Sleep in
- Skip a sight
- Read a book by a pool or a park without feeling like you’re “missing” something
Doing nothing is sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your trip—and your mental health.
Know What “Travel Well” Means To You
There’s no universal checklist for traveling well because it’s deeply personal. Maybe for you, it means choosing one new country a year and doing it deeply. Or maybe it’s getting really familiar with the regions in your own country. Maybe it means traveling solo. Or learning how to say “thank you” in every language you encounter.
Define it. Refine it. Then own it.
Because here’s the quiet truth that experienced travelers know but rarely say: the best trips aren’t the ones that impress other people—they’re the ones that reconnect you to yourself.
Final Thoughts
Traveling well doesn’t mean traveling expensively, or often, or to the most exotic place you can find. It means traveling in a way that’s in alignment—with your values, your energy, your curiosity, and your integrity.
I’ve had cheap hostels that felt like five-star dreams and luxury hotels that left me cold. The difference was never the view. It was how I felt inside it. So if you take anything from this piece, let it be this: travel is not a competition. It’s a relationship. And like all relationships worth having, it deserves care, thoughtfulness, and some space to evolve.
